Backing up digital content that is stored in a secured storage device

ABSTRACT

A third party facilitates preparation of a backup SSD for backing up a source SSD. Digital data of the source SSD, which includes protected and sensitive data and information, is copied to the backup SSD either by and via the third party or directly from the source SSD but under supervision of the third party. The digital data of the source SSD is copied to the backup SSD under stringent rules and only if each party (i.e., the source SSD, destination SSD, and third party) proves to a counterpart device with which it operates that it is authorized to send to it digital data or to receive therefrom digital data, depending on the device with which that party operates.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to storage devices and morespecifically to a method for backing up secure digital data, such asDigital Rights Management (“DRM”) protected multimedia content (e.g.,audio, movies, and games), of one secured storage device (“SSD”) inanother SSD either directly or via a third party, and to a system thatuses the data backup method.

BACKGROUND

There are several types of protection mechanisms that preventunauthorized duplication of secure data that are required for playingback digital content. Digital content that requires for operation securedata is referred to hereinafter as “protected digital data” or“protected data” for short. Usage rules that govern the way digitalcontents are played back are exemplary secure data. Some protectionmechanisms are often loosely referred to, and thought of, as a type ofdigital rights management (“DRM). Considerable efforts have been made tostop duplication of digital content from one electronic device toanother. For example, storage devices that are used with iPod devicesinclude a protection mechanism that prohibits musical or audio-visualcontent from being transferred from one iPod device to another, in orderto prevent unauthorized duplication of protected data. Currently, theprotection mechanisms also prevent backing up protected data of one SSDin another SSD. This means that the entire digital content of an SSDcannot be backed up in another SSD because the digital content of anSSD, even if copied to another SSD, cannot be played back on the otherSSD without having the related secure data copied to the other SSD alongwith the digital content.

Flash memory devices are an example SSDs. SIM (“Subscriber IdentityModule”) cards, megaSIM cards, and Universal Serial Bus (“USB”) flashdrives (“UFDs”) are exemplary flash memory devices. SIM cards securelystore service-subscriber key data that are used to identify asubscriber. SIM cards allow users to change phones by simply removingthe SIM card from one phone and inserting it into another phone.

Currently, digital content that are stored is flash storage devices areprotected by a technology known as “Trusted Flash”. “Trusted Flash” (TF)is a data storage technology that enables consumers to buy multimediacontent such as music, movies, and games, on flash memory cards for usein mobile phones, laptop computers, PDAs and other compatible devices.

Music producers and movie studios, and other multimedia contentoriginators and providers, are more willing to release multimediacontent on trusted products (also referred to herein as “supporteddevices”) because TF technology provides the security and DRM solutionsthat are required by them. A DRM solution involves enforcing a DRMpolicy on the electronic device (e.g., cell phone, iPod). A DRM policyis a set of restrictions imposed on the electronic device, which “tell”the electronic device what operations it can do with what digitalcontent. For example, one policy rule may allow the electronic device toplay a particular song only n times, for example 3 times, another policyrule may prohibit copying of digital content; another policy rule mayallow replaying a digital data stream only by a specific electronicdevice, and so on. Consumers will be able to download protected digitalcontent using online digital music services, for example, through theircell phone or personal computer (“PC”).

Trusted Flash enables consumers to use their purchased multimediacontent in supported devices. Trusted Flash technology empowers thememory card itself to be the manager of digital rights, thus givingconsumers the freedom to transfer the storage device, and its content,to other supported devices without compromising its content protectionsystem. Trusted Flash cards can function as regular memory cards innon-secure host devices.

Storage devices, including TF memory cards and TF storage devices ingeneral, are present in the market with a diversity of storagecapabilities (e.g., 512 megabytes to 8 gigabytes). Currently, userscannot backup protected multimedia content that is stored in an SSD, forwhich reason important digital content, such as rare pictures andaudio-visual recordings, will be lost if the original SSD on which theyare recorded will be stolen, lost or damaged.

In essence, security mechanisms aim to make it impossible to backupprotected data from one SSD to another, and even to copy protected dataof one SSD to another SSD. This has the unfortunate result in somesecured storage devices that even an authorized owner or licensee of theprotected data cannot back up original digital content of one SSD inanother SSD.

SUMMARY

It would therefore be beneficial to have methods and systems that wouldfacilitate backing up secure data of one SSD digital content in anotherSSD, and that would allow an SSD to trust a third party to back up itsmultimedia content, including associated secure data, in a back up SSDin such a way that the multimedia content would be usable on the backupSSD in the same way as it was on the original SSD when it is required toswap between the original SSD and the backup SSD.

It would, therefore, be beneficial to allow an SSD to trust another SSDor a third party to hold a backup copy of its digital content andrelated secure and/or sensitive data in a way that the backup copy ofthe digital content and related secure and sensitive data would besubject to stringent rules with respect to the use thereof. Variousembodiments are designed to implement such capability, examples of whichare provided herein. The following exemplary embodiments and aspectsthereof are described and illustrated in conjunction with systems,tools, and methods, which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative butnot limiting in scope.

According to the present disclosure digital data of an SSD, whichincludes secure data, can be communicated to another SSD for back up byand via a trusted third party (the trusted third party is referred tohereinafter as “third party” for short). The digital data of the SSD mayalternatively be communicated to another SSD for back up directly, undersupervision of the third party. If the digital data of a first SSD(i.e., a “source SSD”) is communicated to a second SSD (i.e., a“destination SSD”) for back up by and via a third party the third partyestablishes a virtual secure channel between the source SSD (i.e., theSSD whose digital data needs to be backed up) and the destination SSDvia which the third party reads the digital data from the source SSD andwrites the read digital data into the destination SSD. The virtualsecure channel is established and the digital data are transferred overthe virtual secure channel after the third party, source SSD, anddestination SSD satisfy back up eligibility prerequisite conditions;that is, after each party is found by the counterparty to be authorizedto send the digital data to the counterparty or to receive the digitaldata from the counterparty, as the case may be. If the digital data ofthe source SSD is communicated to the destination SSD for back updirectly, a direct secure channel is established between the source SSDand the destination SSD via which the destination SSD reads the digitaldata from the source SSD after determining that each party (i.e., thesource SSD and the destination SSD) satisfies back up eligibilityprerequisite conditions.

After the digital data is written into the destination SSD the thirdparty temporarily disables the destination SSD, and upon or responsiveto the third party receiving a back up request disables the source SSDand enables the destination SSD. A backup request may be initiated by auser or by a user application if the source SSD is stolen, lost, ordamaged. The third party disables a stolen, lost, or damaged source SSDso that the source SSD cannot be used by any device. If the digital dataof the source SSD is to be backed up by the destination SSD directly(but under the supervision of a third party) the digital data of thesource SSD is copied to the destination SSD directly (i.e., withoutintervention of the third party) and the third party handles only theenabling/disabling aspects mentioned above and described below.

A method is provided for preparing an SSD as a backup SSD. The SSD maybe, for example, a USB flash drive, an SD card, and the like. The methodincludes determining whether a source SSD is authorized to communicatesecure data that is to be backed up by a destination SSD, the source SSDcontaining digital data that includes the secure data which is nottransferable by the source SSD if the source SSD is unauthorized, anddetermining whether the destination SSD is authorized to back up thesecure data from the source SSD. If the source SSD is authorized to havethe secure data in it backed up by the destination SSD and thedestination SSD is authorized to back up secure data from the sourceSSD, a secure channel is established between the source SSD and thedestination SSD, and the digital data from the source SSD is copied tothe destination SSD over the secure channel such that the copy of thedigital data in the destination SSD is unusable until the destinationSSD is enabled.

The copy of the digital data in the destination SSD may be renderedunusable either by the source SSD, by the destination SSD, by the twoparties collaborating with each other, or by a third party. The copy ofthe digital data in the destination SSD may be made unusable prior to,during, or subsequent to copying the digital data from the source SSD tothe destination SSD. The copy of the digital data in the destination SSDmay be made unusable by any one of (i) changing the digital data beforeor as it is being copied to the destination SSD, (ii) modifying anattribute of the destination SSD, and (iii) configuring the copieddigital data at the destination SSD, or applying to the data copied todestination SSD an unusable configuration.

The determination whether the source SSD is authorized to be backed upby the destination SSD may be done by the destination SSD or by thethird party, and the determination whether the destination SSD isauthorized to back up the source SSD may be done by the source SSD or bythe third party.

The method may further include a step of preparing the destination SSDfor use as a backup SSD by disabling the source SSD so that the digitaldata of the source SSD is rendered unusable, and enabling thedestination SSD so that the digital data copied thereto is renderedusable. Disabling the source SSD is effected, for example, by a thirdparty publishing an identifier of the source SSD, and enabling thedestination SSD by the third party includes the third party reinstatingor reverting data in the destination SSD, or an attribute of thedestination SSD, or a configuration of the destination SSD. Theidentifier of the source SSD may be transferred from the source SSD tothe destination SSD during mutual authentication or as data embedded inthe digital data that is copied from the source SSD to the destinationSSD and then to the third party. Alternatively, the identifier of thesource SSD may be transferred from the source SSD directly to the thirdparty during mutual authentication or as data embedded in the digitaldata that is copied from the source SSD to the third party. The methodmay further include a step of receiving by the source SSD or by thedestination SSD a backup request initiated by a user application to backup the digital data of the source SSD in the destination SSD.

The method may further include a step in which the source SSD determineswhether the third party is authorized to receive the digital data fromthe source SSD. If the source SSD is authorized to be backed up and thethird party is authorized to receive the digital data from the sourceSSD, a first secure channel is established between the source SSD andthe third party, and the digital data is copied from the source SSD tothe third party over the first secure channel. If a third party is usedto copy the digital data from the source SSD to the destination SSD thethird party determines whether the destination SSD is authorized toreceive the digital data, in which case the destination SSD needs todetermine that the third party is eligible to send the digital data tothe destination SSD before allowing the third party to send the digitaldata to the destination SSD.

A third party is also provided for backing up digital data of one SSD inanother SSD. The third party includes an authentication manager that isconfigured (i) to authenticate a destination SSD that contains anunusable digital data originating from a source SSD, the digital dataincluding protected data that are not transferable to ineligibledevices, and (ii) to establish a secure channel with the authenticateddestination SSD. The third party also includes a storage deviceconfigurator that is adapted (i) to disable the source SSD such that thedigital data stored therein is made or rendered unusable, and (ii) toenable the destination SSD over the secure channel in order for thedigital data in the destination SSD to be usable.

The storage device configurator may enable the destination SSD byreinstating, or reverting, a modified data in the destination SSD, or amodified attribute of the destination SSD, or a modified configurationof the destination SSD. The storage device configurator may be furtherconfigured to receive, via the destination SSD, an identifier of thesource SSD and to publish the identifier to a host hosting the sourceSSD, to thereby disable the source SSD. Alternatively, the third partymay obtain the identifier of the source SSD directly from the sourceSSD, either embedded in the digital data the third party receives fromthe source SSD, or during mutual authentication with the source SSD.

The third is authenticated by the source SSD prior to the third partyreceiving the digital data from the source SSD, and the third partyreceives the digital data from the source SSD over a secure channel.Additionally, the third party authenticates the source SSD prior to thethird party receiving the digital data from the source SSD.

The third party further includes a data read/write mechanism to read thedigital data from the source SSD and to write the read digital data intothe destination SSD.

The digital data may be copied from the source SSD to the third partyafter determining that the third party is authorized to receive thedigital data, and from the third party to the destination SSD afterdetermining that destination SSD is authorized to receive the digitaldata.

An SSD is also provided to facilitate backing up protected data thereofin a destination SSD. The SSD includes a mass storage area in whichdigital data is, or can be, stored, the digital data including protecteddata that are not transferable to ineligible devices. The SSD alsoincludes a secure storage controller that is configured to determinewhether a destination SSD, or a third party, is eligible to receivetherefrom the digital data and, if so, to establish a secure channelbetween the secure storage controller and the destination SSD, orbetween the SSD and the third party. The secure storage controller isalso configured to transfer the digital data to the destination SSDdirectly, or via the third party, for back up over a correspondingsecure channel.

The secure storage controller is further configured to disable thedestination SSD in order to make, or render, the transferred digitaldata unusable. The secure storage controller may make, or render, thetransferred digital data unusable prior, during, or after the SSDtransfers the digital data to the destination SSD or to the third party.

The secure storage controller is further configured to transfer anidentifier of the source SSD to the third party directly, or via thedestination SSD, in order for the identifier to be used by the thirdparty to disable the SSD. The secure storage controller may convey theidentifier to the third party, or to the destination SSD, during mutualauthentication with the third party or destination SSD, or embedded inthe transferred digital data.

The secure storage controller may transfer the digital data to the thirdparty, or to the destination SSD, after the secure storage controllerdetermines that third party, or the destination SSD, is eligible toreceive the digital data.

According to the present disclosure the SSD can be used one time as asource SSD and as a destination SSD at another time. Serving as adestination SSD the SSD's secure storage controller is furtherconfigured (i) to prove to a source SSD, or to the third party, theeligibility of the SSD (which functions now as a destination, or backup,SSD) to back up the source SSD and, upon, subsequent or responsive toproving the eligibility of the SSD, the secure storage controller isfurther configured (ii) to establish a secure channel between the SSDand the source SSD, or between the SSD and the third party, and toreceive digital data directly from the source SSD or via the third party(whichever the case may be) over a corresponding secure channel.

If the digital data received from the source SSD is usable, the securestorage controller is further configured to disable the SSD so that thereceived digital data is made, or rendered, unusable. The secure storagecontroller may make, or render, the received digital data unusable byany of (i) changing the received digital data in the SSD, (ii) modifyingan attribute of the SSD, or (iii) applying to the data copied to the SSDan unusable configuration.

The secure storage controller is further configured to prepare the SSDfor use as a backup SSD by reverting the changed data in the SSD or themodified attribute of the destination SSD, or by applying or reinstatinga usable configuration of the destination SSD, whereby to make, orrender, the digital data in the SSD usable.

The secure storage controller may be further configured to receive anidentifier of the source SSD. As part of the preparation of the SSD tooperate as a backup SSD, the secure storage controller may send theidentifier of the source SSD to the third party in order for the sourceSSD identifier to be used by the third party to disable the source SSD,so that the digital data stored in the source SSD is made, or rendered,unusable.

As part of the preparation of the SSD to operate as a backup SSD, thesecure storage controller publishes the identifier of the source SSD toa host hosting the source SSD, to let the host “know” that the digitaldata stored in the source SSD is no longer legitimate (because thebackup SSD has been put to use instead of the source SSD) and,therefore, use of the source SSD has been prohibited, the consequence ofwhich is that the digital data stored in the source SSD is not usable.

In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above,further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to thefigures and by study of the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures. It isintended that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative ratherthan restrictive. The disclosure, however, may better be understood withreference to the following detailed description when read with theaccompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a typical secured storage device (SSD);

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a system for copying protected datafrom one SSD to another according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a system for copying protected datafrom one SSD to another according to another example embodiment;

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a system for copying protected datafrom one SSD to yet another according to another example embodiment ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a system for copying protected datafrom one SSD to another according to yet another example embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a third party according to an exampleembodiment;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an authentication process and sessionkey generation according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a content key generation according toan example embodiment;

FIG. 9 shows typical authentication certificates' hierarchy;

FIG. 10 is a high level method for copying protected data from a sourceSSD to a destination SSD according to an example embodiment; and

FIG. 11 is the method of FIG. 10 shown in more detail.

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration,elements shown in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may berepeated among the figures to indicate like, corresponding or analogouselements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The claims below will be better understood by referring to the presentdetailed description of example embodiments of the invention. Thisdescription is not intended to limit the scope of claims but instead toprovide examples of the invention.

According to the present disclosure secured multimedia content (alsoreferred to herein as “protected digital content” and “protected data”)of a source SSD may be backed up in a destination SSD by and via a thirdparty, or directly, but under the supervision of a third party. Thethird party is provided with authentication means that may beauthentication certificate and authentication keys, to allow it toidentify itself to the source SSD and to the destination SSD, and forproving to the source SSD that it is authorized to receive therefromprotected data that is part of digital data that is stored in the sourceSSD. The third party is also provided with authentication certificatesand authentication keys that allow the third party to identify SSDs,and, in addition, to “know” whether a source SSD is authorized to bebacked up by a destination SSD and whether a destination SSD isauthorized to back up the source SSD.

The third party, which is a trusted computer system or a trustedapplication, may be local or remote (at least from one SSD's point ofview) and it may independently serve multiple local or remote SSDs.“Third party” refers to any computer system or application that isconfigured to transfer digital content from a source SSD to adestination SSD under stringent rules in order to protectconfidentiality of the protected data, and sensitive data in general,and to impart to the destination SSD the security level originallyenforced by the source SSD on its digital data.

In order to facilitate DRM and additional or alternative securityfeatures, the memory space of TF cards is partitioned into severalpartitions, as demonstrated in FIG. 1, which is described below.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary secured storage device (SSD) 100 according torelated art. SSD 100 includes a mass storage area 108, which may be of aNAND flash variety. SSD 100 also includes a secure storage controller140 that manages mass storage area 108 via data and control lines 106and communicates with a host device 150 via a host interface 102. Securestorage controller 140 controls data between mass storage area 108 andhost device 150 by controlling, for example, “read”, “write” and “erase”operations, wear leveling, and so on. Mass storage area 108 includes auser storage area 110, a restricted storage area 120, and a securitymanagement storage area 130. If mass storage area 108 is of a NAND flashvariety, restricted storage area 120 is called a “hidden storage area”,and security management storage area 130 is called a “secured storagearea”.

User Storage Area 110

Data stored in user storage area 110 is publicly available, which meansthat the data stored in user storage area 110 is unconditionallyavailable to a user of SSD 100 and to any external entity (e.g., hostdevice 150), regardless of the identity of the host. That is, thedigital data stored in user storage area 110 may include data that canbe read by, or copied to, a host device (e.g., to host device 150) fromSSD 100 and used (e.g., played back by host device 150) as is, withoutthe host device having to authenticate itself to SSD 100. User storagearea 110 may hold, for example, multimedia content, audio-visualcontent, etc.

User storage area 110 may also include protected data that can be usedby a host device only if the host device gets also usage rules thatindicate to the host device how to use the protected data. Failing toget such rules, the host device will not be able to use the protecteddata. Only a host device that authenticates itself to SSD 100 can getusage rules, as described below in connection with restricted storagearea 120 and secure management storage area 130.

Restricted Storage Area 120

Restricted storage area 120 may hold restricted data (and optionallymetadata and information) that represent, or are related, for example,to usage rights associated with digital data that is held in userstorage area 110. Restricted data that are stored in restricted storagearea 120 are accessible only to authorized devices. Data representingDRM rules are exemplary restricted data because they govern the usage ofdigital content and, as such, they are intended only for authorizeddevices.

“Protected data” refers to any data, file, application or routine, thatis stored in an SSD but is accessible only internally (i.e., to theSSD's controller) or to external authorized devices. Transfer of suchdata, file, application or routine to an external device such as hostdevice 150 can either be prohibited, or the data, file, application orroutine can be allowed to be transferred or copied to another device butbe useless on the external device without the external device usingproper means (e.g., decryption keys) to access or use the data, file,application or routine.

Security Management Storage Area 130

In general, a security management storage area may containauthentication keys of devices that are entitled to access therestricted storage area of a storage device. Turning again to FIG. 1,data stored in security management storage area 130 (referred tohereinafter as a “security data”) is available only to secure storagecontroller 140 for internal processes (e.g., authentication) but not tohost device 150 or to the host device's user. The security data held insecurity management storage area 130 may include, for example, thesystem's firmware, any data type of operating parameter (e.g.,encryption and decryption keys, digital authentication certificatesattesting to the identity, capabilities and privileges of SSD 100 andexternal devices), and other data that is desirable to have safeguardedfrom unfettered access, which would be the case if they were stored inuser storage area 110. Authentication certificates of devices (e.g.,media players and cell phones) specify to the secure storage controller140 the devices that are entitled to use data that is held in therestricted storage area 120, and encryption/decryption keys that arestored in security management storage area 130 can be utilized by securestorage controller 140 to encrypt and decrypt data that is stored in SSD100. The security data held in security management storage area 130typically is related to security applications or to security routines.

A security application is traditionally intended to function only on theSSD upon which it was loaded. For example, a security application maygenerate one time passwords by using a serial number or other data(e.g., a secrete number) of the secured storage, and then submit themfor login or verification of a user or user's account. This is only anexample, and any number of algorithms used in security or otherfunctions may be based, at least in part, upon storage device specificdata. Security applications may be loaded over time by a user.

The security of digital data may be provided by the SSD 100 system'sfirmware and/or hardware, by encryption/decryption keys, and/or bysecurity applications. In some cases, copy-protected content isencrypted and although the encrypted content may be copied fromrestricted storage area 120 to another device or application, it cannotbe decrypted by the other device or application unless the other deviceor application is authenticated by SSD 100 and has the proper key(s) todecrypt the encrypted content.

Secure storage controller 140 utilizes security routines andsecurity-related data (e.g., encryption keys) to impart securitycapabilities to SSD 100, which means, for example, that SSD 100prohibits illegal use of the protected digital content stored in SSD 100and generation of illegal copies thereof. To accomplish this, securestorage controller 140 controls the access to content held in restrictedstorage area 120 based on security data (e.g., keys, authenticationcertificates, security routines, etc.) that are held in securitymanagement storage area 130. Authentication may be executed by using thePrivate Key Infrastructure (“PKI”), symmetric keys, password-basedschemes, or any other authentication scheme. “PKI” is a well knownsecurity paradigm. In cryptography, PKI is an arrangement that bindspublic keys with respective user identities by means of a certificateauthority (CA). The user identity must be unique for each CA. Thebinding is established through the registration and issuance process,which, depending on the level of assurance the binding has, may becarried out by software at a CA, or under human supervision. For eachuser, the user identity, the public key, their binding, validityconditions and other attributes cannot be forged if they are in publickey certificates issued by the CA.

PKI arrangements enable computer users without prior contact to beauthenticated to each other and to use the public key information intheir public key certificates to encrypt messages to each other. Ingeneral, a PKI consists of client software, server software, hardware(e.g., smart cards), legal contracts and assurances, and operationalprocedures. A signer's public key certificate may also be used by athird-party to verify the digital signature of a message, which was madeusing the signer's private key. In general, a PKI enables the parties ina dialogue to establish confidentiality, message integrity and userauthentication without having to exchange any secret information inadvance, or even any prior contact. In cryptography, a public keycertificate (or identity certificate) is an electronic document whichincorporates a digital signature to bind together a public key withidentity information. The certificate can be used to verify that apublic key belongs to an individual. In a typical PKI scheme thesignature will be of a certificate authority (CA).

Turning again to FIG. 1, host device 150 cannot directly access massstorage area 108. That is, if host device 150 asks for or needs datafrom SSD 100, host device 150 has to request it from secure storagecontroller 140, regardless of whether the requested data is held in userstorage area 110, in restricted storage area 120, or in securitymanagement storage area 130. If the data requested by host device 150 isstored in restricted storage area 120, secure storage controller 140checks whether host device 150 is authorized to get that data byutilizing security data that is stored in security management storagearea 130.

In order for host device 150 (an exemplary device) to use, for example,media content that is held in user storage area 110, host device 150communicates with secure storage controller 140, and secure storagecontroller 140 utilizes data that is stored in security managementstorage area 130 to check whether the host device 150 is entitled to usethe media content that is held in user storage area 110. If host device150 is entitled to use the media content that is held in user storagearea 110, secure storage controller 140 allows host device 150 to usethat data based on usage rules, or restrictions, that are held inrestricted storage area 120.

If SSD 100 is used with a supported device, which may be, for example,an MP3 player, the data stored in restricted storage area 120 is usableby the supported device but is inaccessible to the user of the device.The reason for this restriction is that the restricted storage area 120contains sensitive data or information that specify to external devicesthe rules (DRM or others) governing the usage of the multimedia content,and the restricted storage area 120 is made inaccessible to the SSD 100user in order not to allow the user to manipulate or violate the DRMrights or usage rules.

Backing up multimedia content of one SSD in another SSD involves copyingthe multimedia content from the first SSD to the other SSD. Copying themultimedia content, though, requires that the DRM rights, authenticationparticulars (i.e., digital authentication certificates, keys, etc.), andother information pertaining to the multimedia content, be copied aswell. However, as explained above, being stored in restricted storagearea 120 of the SSD 100, this information (i.e., DRM rights,authentication particulars, etc.) is inaccessible to the user, for whichreason even though the user may be able, in some cases, to copy themultimedia content in question to another SSD, the other SSD will not beable to use (e.g., play back) the copied multimedia content.

As another example, security applications relating to medical orfinancial records can be loaded into SSD 100. These applications may beexecuted by secure storage controller 140 alone or in combination with aprocessor (not shown in FIG. 1) of host device 150, and theseapplications may not only handle confidential information, but also thesecret information used in encrypting and safeguarding the sensitivecontents of the secured storage. As such, SSD 100 and host device 150may be functionally deeply interconnected and reliant upon the securitymechanisms and information within the SSD 100. In some cases, thesecurity mechanisms of the applications themselves utilize securedstorage specific information and will not function on another securedstorage. The applications themselves may also be encrypted anddevice-specific in order to prevent them from being misused (e.g.,copied and hacked).

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a data back up system 200 for backingup protected data of a source SSD 250 in a destination SSD 260 by andvia a third party 210. In general, system 200 includes a host devicesystem 205 for hosting, or accommodating, source SSD 250 and destinationSSD 260, and other or additional host devices, and a third party 210that is operatively connected to host device system 205, exemplaryoperative connections being shown in FIG. 2 as dashed lines 220 and 225.Source SSD 250 contains digital data that includes protected data thatare not transferable to, accessible by, and usable by ineligibledevices. That is, a digital content that is downloaded to an SSD througha media player (such as MP3) or cell phone from a multimedia contentprovider is usually intended only for the specific media player it wasloaded to, and any other SSD is regarded as an ineligible device, for itcannot receive protected data from any other SSD, nor can it access suchdata in another SSD or use it in any way.

Binding the digital content to the specific media player is done by theSSD binding usage rules (e.g., DRM policy rules) to the digital contentand enforcing these rules on the digital content. In order to preventuse of the digital content by an unauthorized device, the secure storagecontroller of the SSD does not allow such devices (i.e., unauthorizeddevices) to access the usage rules and the security features that arestored in its restricted storage area and in its secured managementstorage area. However, a corresponding certificate may be issued by atrusted certificate authority (“CA”) and provided to SSDs in order to“tell” the SSDs that there is a trusted entity (i.e., the trusted thirdparty) that has permission or mandate to backup digital data (includingprotected data) of one SSD in another SSD. A third party having apermission or mandate to backup digital data is said to be, or isthought of as, “trusted”. Depending on circumstances, such a third partymay temporarily hold a backup copy of a source SSD's digital contentuntil the third party transfers the backup copy to the destination SSD,or the third party may transfer the source SSD's digital data to thedestination SSD at a single session without keeping a copy of the backedup digital content.

Third party 210 may be owned by a service provider such as serviceprovider 270. If third party 210 is owned by service provider 270, userswill need a service agreement with service provider 270 to allow them toback up the entire digital data (including protected data) of one SSD(e.g., source SSD 250) in another SSD (e.g., destination SSD 260) viathird party 210. Service provider 270 will need to have an agreementwith the entity that places the authentication certificates in the SSDs,that entity usually being the SSDs' manufacturer.

In some cases, though, some SSDs may not be entitled to the data back upservice rendered by the third party. Therefore, the data back up processdescribed herein is contingent on several back up eligibilityprerequisite conditions, such as the source SSD proving to third party210 of its eligibility to be serviced; i.e., that its digital data canbe backed up in another (i.e., destination) SSD. Likewise, third party210 has to prove to source SSD 250 its eligibility to receive therefromthe entire digital data (including the protected data). If the sourceSSD is unable to prove its eligibility to be serviced, the third partywill not read the digital data from the source SSD. If the third partyis unable to prove its eligibility to receive the digital data from thesource SSD, the source SSD will not allow the third party to read itsdigital data.

After third party 210 proves to source SSD 250 its eligibility toreceive therefrom the digital data, and upon source SSD 250 proving tothird party 210 is eligible to be backed up in destination SSD 260,third party 210 establishes a first secure channel 220 with source SSD250, which is part of a virtual secure channel that is yet to beestablished, through third party 210, between source SSD 250 anddestination SSD 260. By “secure channel” is meant a communicationchannel over which ciphered data is communicated. By “virtual securechannel” is meant a secure channel whose establishment is proactivelycommenced by and via a third party between a source SSD and adestination SSD, in a way that digital data of a source SSD are backedup in a destination SSD without the source SSD and the destination SSDcommunicating with each other directly. The secure channel is “virtual”also in the sense that it includes two separate and independent securechannels (e.g., secure channels 220 and 225) that can be established bythe third party at the same time, concurrently, or at different times.

After third party 210 and source SSD 250 establish first secure channel220, third party 210 receives, or reads, the entire digital data fromsource SSD 250 over first secure channel 220, and concurrently, or atany time thereafter, establishes second secure channel 225 withdestination SSD 260 to complete the virtual secure channel betweensource SSD 250 and destination SSD 260. Third party 210 may receive froma user 215 an instruction to establish second secure channel 225 withdestination SSD 260, for example, immediately after third party 210receives the digital data from source SSD 250, a few seconds later,three months later, etc.

A destination SSD must prove to the third party its eligibility toreceive digital data originating from an SSD. Upon proving to thirdparty 210 that destination SSD 260 is eligible to receive the digitaldata originating from source SSD 250, third party 210 transfers, copies,or writes, the digital data it received or read from source SSD 250 todestination SSD 260 over the second part of the virtual secure channel(i.e., over secure channel 225).

As part of the trust source SSD 250 has in third party 210, no twolegitimate copies of the digital data (i.e., one in the source SSD andthe other in the destination SSD) can exist. By “no two legitimatecopies of the digital data can exist” is meant that, although a copy ofan original digital data can, or does, exist in a destination (i.e., ina backup) SSD, it cannot be used by any device so long as the originaldigital data in the source SSD is, or is regarded as, the legitimate orusable data. If, for some reason, it is desired or required to use thebackup copy instead of the original digital data, then it is required tomake, or render, the digital data in the destination SSD usable, and tomake, or render, the original digital data in the source SSD unusable.In order to ensure that only one version of the digital data (i.e., theoriginal data in the source SSD or the copy thereof in the destinationSSD) can be used, third party 210 disables operation of destination SSD260. By “disabling operation of destination SSD” is meant causing, bythe third party, protected data in the destination SSD to be unusableby, or inaccessible to, any device, including by/to the SSD thatoriginally holds the protected data. Disabling a destination SSD may beeffected, for example, by causing the destination SSD to reversiblymanipulate data that is stored in the destination SSD in order toprevent future use of the destination SSD's protected data, that is, solong as the source SSD is usable.

Third party 210 may cause destination SSD 260 to manipulate data storedtherein by communicating to it a corresponding instruction or command.Third party 210 may cause destination SSD 260 to manipulate the datastored therein at any time after third party 210 receives the digitaldata from source SSD 250. In one example third party 210 causesdestination SSD 260 to manipulate data stored therein upon, orsubsequent to, completion of transfer of the digital data from sourceSSD 250 to third party 210 and before third party 210 transfers thedigital data to destination SSD 260. In another example third party 210causes destination SSD 260 to manipulate the data stored therein upon,or subsequent to, completion of transfer of the digital data todestination SSD 260. Third party 210 may cause destination SSD 260 tomanipulate the data stored therein between the two extreme instancesdescribed above.

Manipulation, by third party 210 of data that is stored in destinationSSD 260, may include disabling, erasing, or modifying security featuresin destination SSD 260 which are associated with the protected data. Thetype, amount, or location (i.e., in the SSD's storage area) of the datato be manipulated can be chosen such that after its manipulation theprotected data of destination SSD 260 becomes inaccessible to anydevice, and, in addition, that the manipulation itself is reversible, sothat the data, information, or application, required to use the backupcopy can be reinstated or reverted. Alternatively, manipulation, bythird party 210, of data that is stored in the destination SSD 260 mayinclude disabling, erasing, or modifying authentication parameters heldin destination SSD 260, which are associated with the protected data,such that no device can use the protected data. Third party 210 mayalternatively cause the access to the protected data in the destinationSSD 260 to be blocked by sending a corresponding block command todestination SSD 260 to block access to the protected data to any device.

The digital data received by the destination SSD may be made, orrendered, unusable either by the source SSD or by the destination SSD,by altering the digital data in the source SSD prior to communicating itto the destination SSD or to the third party, or thereafter in thedestination SSD, or by modifying an attribute of the destination SSD, orby applying to the data copied to the destination SSD an unusableconfiguration. The digital data received by the destination SSD may bemade, or rendered, unusable by sending, by the source SSD, the digitaldata to the destination SSD, or to the third party, as compressed dataand storing (i.e., concealing) the compressed data in the hidden orrestricted storage area similar to hidden area 120 in FIG. 1. In orderto make, or render, the digital data usable (i.e., to enable thedestination SSD), the third party, or the destination SSD, decompressesthe compressed data; parses the uncompressed data according to the typeand/or function of the various data items, and stores each parsed dataitem in the mass storage area in the corresponding storage area, whetherit is the user storage area, the restricted storage area or the securitymanagement storage area.

Source SSD 230 is similar to SSD 100 of FIG. 1, except that, accordingto the present disclosure, the secure storage controller of source SSD250 (the secure storage controller of source SSD 250 is not shown inFIG. 2) is also configured to determine whether destination SSD 260 orthird party 210, which ever the case may be, is eligible to receivetherefrom the digital data and, if so, to establish a secure channelbetween the secure storage controller of source SSD 250 and destinationSSD 260 (i.e., secure channel 222), or between source SSD 250 and thirdparty 210 (i.e., secure channel 220). According to the presentdisclosure the secure storage controller of source SSD 250 is furtherconfigured to transfer the digital data to destination SSD 260 for backup directly or via third party 210, over the corresponding securechannel (i.e., over secure channel 222 or 220, respectively).

The secure storage controller of source SSD 250 may disable destinationSSD 260 in order to make, or render, the transferred digital dataunusable. The secure storage controller of source SSD 250 may make, orrender, the transferred digital data unusable prior, during, or aftersource SSD 250 transfers the digital data to destination SSD 260 or tothird party 210. The secure storage controller of source SSD 250 maytransfer an identifier of source SSD 250 to third party 210 directly, orvia destination SSD 260, in order for the identifier to be used by thirdparty 210 to disable source SSD 250. The secure storage controller ofsource SSD 250 may convey the identifier of source SSD 250 to thirdparty 210, or to destination SSD 260, during mutual authentication withthird party 210 or with destination SSD 260, or (as data) embedded inthe transferred digital data. The secure storage controller of sourceSSD 250 may transfer the digital data to third party 210, or todestination SSD 260, after third party 210, or destination SSD 260, isdetermined to be eligible to receive the digital data. The determinationwhether third party 210, or destination SSD 260, is eligible to receivethe digital data may be made by the secure storage controller of sourceSSD 250, or by a dedicated application running on source SSD 250.

As may be appreciated, an SSD may function, or be regarded, as a sourceSSD at one time, and as a destination (i.e., backup) SSD at anothertime. Therefore, having the potential to serve as a backup/destinationSSD the secure storage controller of an SSD (in this case a destinationSSD) is further configured to prove to a source SSD (e.g., destinationSSD 260 proving to source SSD 250), or to a third party, the eligibilityof the SSD to back up the source SSD. Upon, subsequent or responsive toproving the eligibility of the SSD to back up the source SSD, the securestorage controller is further adapted to establish a secure channelbetween the SSD and the source SSD, or the third party, and to receivedigital data directly from the source SSD, or via the third party, overthe corresponding secure channel.

The digital data that the destination SSD receives directly from thesource SSD or from the third party may be usable or unusable. That is,the source may make or render its digital data unusable before sendingit to the destination SSD or to the third party. Alternatively, thesource SSD may send its digital data as is, in which case the receivingparty may use the digital data if it is authorized, or eligible, to doso. If the digital data received from the source SSD is usable, thesecure storage controller of the SSD is further configured to disablethe SSD so that the received digital data is made, or rendered, unusablefor as long as the source SSD is legitimately used.

The secure storage controller may make, or render, the received digitaldata unusable, for example, by changing the received digital data in theSSD, by modifying an attribute of the SSD, or by applying to the datacopied to the SSD an unusable configuration. The secure storagecontroller may prepare the SSD for use as a backup SSD by revertingchanged data in the SSD or modified attribute of the destination SSD, orby applying a usable configuration of the destination SSD (i.e.,replacing the unusable configuration of the SSD with a usableconfiguration), whereby to make, or render, the digital data in the(destination/backup) SSD usable.

The secure storage controller of the SSD may receive an identifier ofthe source SSD and, as part of the preparation of the SSD to operate asa backup SSD, send it to the third party in order for it to be used bythe third party to disable the source SSD. The third party may, whenrequested to do so by an end-user or by a user application, publish theidentifier of the source SSD to the host hosting the source SSD, so thatthe digital data stored in the source SSD will not be used.Alternatively, the secure storage controller may publish the identifierof the source SSD instead of the third party.

Third party 210 may be a computer system that is trusted by source SSDssuch as source SSD 250 and by destination SSDs such as destination SSD260. Third party 210 may be an application that runs on a computersystem and is trusted by source SSDs 250 and destination SSDs.

Host device system 205 includes two separate host devices 230 and 240.Each of host devices 230 and 240 may have a card reader to accommodatean SSD, or a secure USB device that can read SSDs. Each of the cardreaders may accommodate a source SSD or a destination SSD. By way ofexample, the card reader of or associated with host device 230accommodates source SSD 250 and the card reader of or associated withhost device 240 accommodates destination SSD 260. Any suitableconventional card reader may be used to read content/data from an SSD.

A host device system may include one host device (e.g., host device 230,host device 240 being optional) that may include, or have associatedwith it, one card reader for accommodating the source SSD and thedestination SSD (not at the same time), or two card readers, one foreach SSD. Alternatively, a host device system may include two hostdevices (e.g., host devices 230 and 240), where each host device has itsown card reader. If the host device includes one card reader, backing upthe digital data of a source SSD in a destination SSD (by using the databack up service rendered by the third party) involves, among otherthings, using the card reader a first time to read and transfer thedigital data, over the first secure channel, from the source SSD to thethird party and, after replacing the source SSD with the destinationSSD, a second time to write, transfer, or copy the digital data from thethird party to the destination SSD over the second secure channel. Acard reader associated with a host device may be an integral part of thehost device, or external to the host device and operatively connected tothe host device.

Each of source SSD 250 and destination SSD 260 may be identical orsimilar to SSD 100 of FIG. 1. Source SSD 250 may contain a digital datathat may include user accessible multimedia content and protected data,which may include copy-protected data, secrete data, secrete metadata,security applications, DRM files, and the like, which the SSD's user maydecide to back up in destination SSD 260. Backing up also the sourceSSD's protected data in destination SSD 260 will impart to destinationSSD 260 the same security level associated with, or originally enforcedby, source SSD 250 on the digital content.

Host device system 205 may include additional multiple host devices,designated as “host device 3” (shown at 280) through “host device n”(shown at 290), to which third party 210 may be operatively connected. Ahost device may be located locally or remotely with respect to the thirdparty 210. The communication between third party 210 and any of the hostdevices of host devices system 205 may be performed via any combinationof a dedicated communication cable, a landline, a data network, theInternet, and wireless communication link.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a data back up system 300 for backingup digital data, including protected data, of a source SSD 350 in adestination SSD 360, via a third party 310, according to an exampleembodiment. A data back up process includes a first phase (referred toherein as the “data-copy phase”) of copying the digital data of a sourceSSD to a destination SSD, and a second phase (referred to herein as the“post data-copy phase”) of reversibly disabling the destination SSD foras long as the owner or user of the source SSD can use source SSD 350.

Third party 310 is operatively connected, via data network (e.g., theInternet) 390, to a host device system 305. Host device system 305includes one host device 320 that has associated with it two cardreaders: card reader 330 and card reader 340. Card readers 330 and 340are external to host device 320. By way of example, card reader 330accommodates source SSD 350 and card reader 340 accommodates destinationSSD 360.

After satisfying eligibility prerequisites that are specified above,third party 310 establishes a virtual secure channel between source SSD350 and destination SSD 360, by establishing a first secure channel withsource SSD 350 and a second secure channel with destination SSD 360. Thefirst secure channel is established over communication lines 355 and380, and via data network 390, and the second secure channel isestablished over communication lines 365 and 380, and via data network390.

Host device 320 includes a user application 370 and a user interface315. User interface 315 may be, for example, a keypad or a touchscreen.User interface 315 enables a user to interact with user application 370.For example, the user may use user interface 315 to enter an instructionthat indicates to user application 370 that source SSD 350 anddestination SSD 360 are in place (i.e., source SSD resides in cardreader 330 and destination SSD resides in card reader 340), waiting tobe serviced by third party 310, and that the digital data of source SSD350 can be backed up in destination SSD 360 if eligibility prerequisitesare satisfied. Responsive to such instruction, user application 370sends to third party 310, via communication link 380 and data network390, a message to third party 310 that instructs third party 310 tocommence a data back up session with the SSD in question; e.g., firstwith source SSD 350 and then with destination SSD 360.

In order to commence the data copy phase third party 310 logs on, overthe first secure channel and via host device 320, into source SSD 350,for example by using a system Access Control Record (“ACR”) of sourceSSD 350. If third party 310 and source SSD 350 authenticate each otherand third party 310 proves to source SSD 350 its eligibility to receivetherefrom digital data, source SSD 350 allows third party 310 to readwhatever data source SSD 350 holds in its mass storage area, includingprotected data, and, in general, each data that is requested by thirdparty 3 10. If source SSD 350 proves to third party 310 its eligibilityto be backed up by another SSD, third party 310 will read the digitaldata from source SSD 350.

After third party 310 reads the digital data from source SSD 350 thirdparty 310 logs on, over the second secure channel and via host device320, into destination SSD 360 system, for example by using a system ACRof destination SSD 360. If third party 310 and destination SSD 360authenticate each other and destination SSD 360 proves to third party310 its eligibility to back up source SSD 350, third party 310 writesthe data it read from source SSD 350 into destination SSD 360, tothereby complete the data copy phase.

Third party 310 commences the second phase (i.e., “post data-copy”phase) by reversibly disabling destination SSD 360 for as long as theowner or user of source SSD 350 can use source SSD 350, and, optionally,disabling source SSD 350 and enabling destination SSD 360 if, for somereason, the owner or user of source SSD 350 can no longer use source SSD350, for example because it has been stolen, lost, or damaged.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a system 400 for backing up digitaldata, including protected data, of a source SSD 450 in a destination SSD460, via a third party 410, according to another example embodiment.Third party 410 is operatively connected, via data network (e.g., theInternet) 490, to host device system 405. Host device system 405includes one host device (shown at 420) that has associated with it onecard reader: card reader 430. Card reader 430 is external to host device420. By way of example, card reader 430 is shown accommodating sourceSSD 450, but it can accommodate destination SSD 460 as well.

After satisfying the specified eligibility prerequisites, third party410 establishes a virtual secure channel between source SSD 450 anddestination SSD 460. In order to establish the virtual secure channelbetween source SSD 450 and destination SSD 460 third party 410establishes a first secure channel with source SSD 450, over which thirdparty 410 reads digital data from source SSD 450, and, after replacing,or swapping, source SSD 450 with destination SSD 460 (the replacementsymbolically shown by dashed line 435), a second secure channel withdestination SSD 460. The first secure channel and the second securechannel can be established over the same communication lines 455 and 480because third party 410 deals with the two SSDs one SSD at a time.

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a system 500 for backing up protecteddata of source SSD 550 in destination SSD 560, via a third party 510,according to yet another example embodiment. Third party 510 isoperatively connected, via data network (e.g., the Internet) 590, tohost device system 505. Host device system 505 includes two hostdevices, host device 520A and host device 520B, each host device havingassociated with it one card reader and a user application. Card reader530 and user application 570A are associated with host device 520A. Cardreader 540 and user application 570B are associated with host device520B. Card reader 530 and card reader 540 are external to the respectivehost device. However, as explained above, a card reader may be anintegral part of or embedded in a host device. By way of example, cardreader 530 accommodates source SSD 550 and card reader 540 accommodatessource SSD 560.

Host devices 520A and 520B may be operatively connected to third party510 by using the same type of communication path, or different types ofcommunication paths. By way of example, host device 520A is operativelyconnected to third party 510 via a landline 510, and host device 520B isoperatively connected to third party 510 via a communication path 580and a data network 590. The configuration of FIG. 5 is useful, forexample, in cases where a user wants to back up the digital data ofher/his SSD in a remote SSD that belongs to another person. The user'shost device (e.g., host device 520A) may be located, for example, in onecity and the other person's host device (e.g., host device 520B) may belocated in another city.

Each of user applications 570A and 570B may include two separate andindependent procedures: a “reading procedure” and a “writing procedure”.The reading procedure allows a user to instruct a third party to readdigital data from a source SSD, and the writing procedure allows thesame user, or another user, to instruct the third party to write theread digital data to a local or remote destination SSD. The user mayselect, activate, or otherwise cause or trigger the execution of theproper procedure (i.e., reading procedure or writing procedure)according to the role of the SSD (i.e., source SSDA or destination SSD).Referring again to FIG. 5 a first user may select, activate, orotherwise cause or trigger (e.g., by using user interface 515A) theexecution of the reading procedure to cause third party 510 to readdigital data from source SSD 550. A second user may select, activate, orotherwise cause or trigger (e.g., by using user interface 515B) theexecution of the writing procedure to cause third party 510 to write theread digital data to destination SSD 560.

If the eligibility prerequisites specified above are satisfied, thirdparty 510 establishes a virtual secure channel between source SSD 550and destination SSD 560. In order to establish the virtual securechannel between source SSD 550 and destination SSD 560 third party 510establishes a first secure channel (via communication paths 510 and 555)with source SSD 550, via which third party 510 reads the digital datafrom source SSD 550, and a second secure channel (via communication path580, data network 590, and communication path 565) with destination SSD560, via which third party 510 writes the read digital data intodestination SSD 560.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of third party 310 of FIG. 3 according to anexample embodiment. FIG. 6 will be described in association with FIG. 3.Third party 310 includes a communication interface 620, anauthentication manager 630, a storage device configurator 640, a memory650, and a data read/write mechanism 660.

If a user wants to back up multimedia content which is stored in sourceSSD 350 in destination SSD 360, the user activates, invokes, orinteracts with, user application 370 to cause user application 370 tosend a message to third party 310 that data back up service is required,and that source SSD 350 and destination SSD 360 are in place and readyfor the data transfer. Invoking client application 370 also causes thirdparty 310 to commence a communication session with the SSDs in question,and specifies to third party 310 the service requested by the user. Theservice requested by the user may be, for example: transfer of thedigital data from source SSD 350 to third party 310 and holding it theretemporarily (e.g., several days), or (assuming the digital data isalready held in third party 310) transfer of the digital data from thirdparty 310 to destination SSD 360, or transfer of the digital data fromsource SSD 350 to third party 310 and concurrent transfer of the digitaldata from third party 310 to destination SSD 360, or disablingdestination SSD 360 immediately after third party 310 writes the digitaldata into destination SSD 360, or disabling source SSD 350 and enablingdestination SSD 360, and so on.

As explained above, the first phase in backing up a source SSD's digitaldata in a destination SSD (i.e., the backup SSD) is copying the sourceSSD's digital data to the destination SSD. In order to copy the digitaldata from the source SSD to the destination SSD the third partyinitiates a data copy session that includes the following stages: (1)Authentication stage (2) Establishment of virtual secure channel betweenthe source SSD and the destination SSD via the third party (3) Reading,by the third party, data from the source SSD (4) (re)Configuration, bythe third party, of the destination SSD and (5) Writing, by the thirdparty, the data read from the source SSD to the destination SSD. Asexplained above, another phase (i.e., the post data-copy phase) has tobe executed, which includes reversibly disabling, by the third party,the destination SSD for as long as the owner or user of the source SSDcan use the source SSD. If the owner or user of the source SSD can usethe source SSD this means that the source SSD is still operable (i.e.,“enabled”, “usable”, or “active”).The post data-copy phase alsoincludesdisabling the source SSD and enabling the destination SSD if the owneror user of the source SSD and the destination SSD want to swap the twoSSDs because s/he can no longer use the source SSD, for whatever thereason may be.

(1) Authentication

Successful transfer of the multimedia content of source SSD 350 todestination SSD 360 necessitates also transfer of data from therestricted storage area of source SSD 350 to the restricted storage areaof destination SSD 360, and also transfer of data from the securitymanagement storage area of source SSD 350 to the security managementstorage area of destination SSD 360.

Before third party 310 transfers any data to destination SSD 360, thirdparty 310 has to request (i.e., to read) it first from source SSD 250.Before source SSD 350 complies with the request (i.e., before source SSD350 starts transferring the requested data to third party 310, viacommunication interface 620), a first authentication session has to becommenced during which third party 310 and source SSD 350 authenticateeach other.

The first authentication session involves checking by source SSD 350 theauthenticity of third party 310 to ensure that third party 310 iseligible to receive protected data that are stored in the restrictedstorage area and in the security management storage area of source SSD350, and checking by authentication manager 630 the authenticity ofsource SSD 350 to ensure that source SSD 350 is eligible to be backed upby another SSD. Authentication manager 630 logs-on into the system ofsource SSD 350 before it commences the first authentication session.

Authentication manager 630 commences a second, separate, authenticationsession during which third party 310 and destination SSD 350authenticate each other. The second authentication session involveschecking by destination SSD 360 the authenticity of third party 310 toensure that third party 310 is eligible to write data into itsrestricted storage area and into its security management storage area,and checking by authentication manager 630 the authenticity ofdestination SSD 360 to ensure that destination SSD 360 is eligible toback up another SSD. Authentication manager 630 logs-on, viacommunication interface 620, into the system of destination SSD 360before it commences the second authentication session. The firstauthentication session and the second authentication session may beperformed by exchanging authentication certificates between the involvedparties, and by using the PKI paradigm, as described in more detailbelow in connection with FIG. 7.

Authentication manager 630 may log-on, via communication interface 620,into the system of source SSD 350 and destination SSD 360 by using theSSDs' Access Control Record (“ACR”). Briefly, “ACR” is an access controlparadigm that can be viewed as a “super authority record” because an ACRcontains information for indexing and it can be linked both tobibliographic records, relational databases, and to other related accesscontrol records. The ACR concept shifts from the traditional concept of“authority control” to “access control”.

(2) Establishment of a Virtual Secure Channel

After source SSD 350 and third party 310 authenticate each other (duringthe first authentication session), authentication manager 630 and thesecure storage controller (not shown in FIG. 3) of source SSD 350establish there between a first secure channel, for example by using afirst session key that is available to both of them, and afterdestination SSD 360 and third party 310 authenticate each other thirdparty 310 and destination SSD 360 establish a second secure channel, forexample by using a second session key that is available to both of them.As explained above, the second secure channel and the first securechannel may be established concurrently. It is noted, though, that thesecond secure channel may be established at any time after the firstsecure channel was established, or before the first secure channel isestablished. The first session key and the second session key may berandomly generated by the involved parties per communication session, orthey may be fixed and stored in third party 310 and in the respectiveSSD during manufacturing thereof.

With respect to the first alternative (i.e., random generation of thefirst and second session keys), authentication manager 630 initiates theestablishment of the first secure channel and, responsive to thatinitiative, authentication manager 630 and source SSD 350 jointlygenerate the first session key, as described in more detail inconnection with FIG. 7, which is described below. The first session keyis used by source SSD 350 to encrypt the digital data (in order tosecure it) that has been requested by authentication manager 630 beforesource SSD 350 communicates the digital data to authentication manager630, and upon receiving, via communication interface 620, the encrypteddata from source SSD 350, authentication manager 630 uses the firstsession key to decrypt the encrypted digital data. Authenticationmanager 630 may use the first session key to decrypt the encrypteddigital data upon completion of transferring thereof from source SSD 350to authentication manager 630, or at any other time, such as rightbefore authentication manager 630 is instructed or decides (depending onuser application 370) to write the digital data into destination SSD360. It is noted that the digital data of source SSD 350 may bepre-encrypted by source SSD 350 before encryption thereof with the firstsession key, to further increase the security level of the communicateddigital data. For example the digital data may be pre-encrypted bysource SSD 350 by using a content key that is available to destinationSSD 360.

Likewise, authentication manager 630 may, at any time after it receivesfrom source SSD 350 the digital data encrypted with the first sessionkey, initiate the establishment of the second secure channel and,responsive to that initiative, authentication manager 630 anddestination SSD 360 jointly generate the second session key.Authentication manager 630 uses the second session key to encrypt thedigital data (to secure it) that is to be copied to destination SSD 360before authentication manager 630 communicates the digital data todestination SSD 360. Upon receiving the encrypted data fromauthentication manager 630, destination SSD 360 uses the second sessionkey to decrypt the encrypted digital data. It is noted that either ofthe first session key and the second session key may be generated first.That is, it is insignificant which session key (i.e., the first sessionkey or the second session key) is generated first.

An encrypted data may be stored in the user storage area of source SSD350 but the decryption key that is required to decrypt it may be storedin the restricted storage area or in the security management storage ofsource SSD 350. Therefore, it is imperative that encrypted data aretransferred from the source SSD to the destination SSD along with theassociated encryption/decryption keys, and other secure-relateddata/information, that are typically stored in one of the restrictedstorage areas (i.e., in the restricted storage area or in the securitymanagement storage area) of the involved SSD.

In an alternative way the virtual secure channel may be established, viathird party 310, by source SSD 350 and by destination SSD 360 by using apredetermined content key that is available to source SSD 350 to encryptthe digital data, and to the destination SSD 360 to decrypt theencrypted digital data. In this alternative third party 310 iscommunication-wise transparent, in the sense that third party 310 servesas or provides a communication junction to source SSD 350 and todestination SSD 360 but it is not proactively involved in encryption ordecryption of data.

(3) Reading Data from a Source SSD

After the first session key is generated, authentication manager 630uses data read/write mechanism 660 to read whatever data there are tocopy to destination SSD 360 from the user storage area, restrictedstorage area, and from the security management storage area of sourceSSD 350. Third party 310 includes a memory 650 for holding a list ofauthentication certificates of SSDs that can benefit from the data backup service rendered by third party 310, and also for temporarily holdingthe digital data that third party 310 reads from source SSD 350. Datathat is held temporarily in memory 650 will be deleted when it is nolonger required so that no traceable data will remain in third party 310for users to misuse or for hackers to tap or intercept.

(4) Configuration of a Destination SSD

It is essential that destination SSD 360 has the same configuration assource SSD 350 because it is function-wise imperative that, in additionto the copied multimedia content and related protected data, the datastructure of source SSD 350 is also transferred to destination SSD 360,or else data will be stored in a wrong way or in a wrong storage area,for example, in the user storage area instead of in the restrictedstorage area, or in the restricted storage area instead of in the userstorage area, which will make or render the copied multimedia contentpermanently unusable. “Data structure” is a way of storing data in acomputer so that the stored data can be accessed and used efficiently.In particular, “data structure” refers to the arrangement of digitaldata inside an SSD, the type and meaning of each data item, the absoluteand relative location of each data item in the SSD's memory, and so on.Data structure is defined as part of the SSD's configuration. Therefore,in order for destination SSD 360 to hold an exact copy of the digitaldata as stored in source SSD 350, third party 310 has to ensure that theconfiguration of destination SSD 360 matches that of source SSD 350before third party 310 writes the source SSD's digital data intodestination SSD 360, for example, by using data read/write mechanism660. In order to achieve that, authentication manager 630 inquires for,or requests from, source SSD 350 information about, or datarepresentative of, its configuration, and source SSD 350 can comply withthe inquiry or request by notifying third party 310 of itsconfiguration. Source SSD 350 may notify third party 310 of itsconfiguration, for example, by sending to third party 310 aconfiguration table. After being notified by source SSD 350 of itsconfiguration, authentication manager 630 causes storage deviceconfigurator 640 to use the configuration information obtained fromsource SSD 350 to configure destination SSD 360 in the same way assource SSD 350. It may, therefore, be said that storage deviceconfigurator 640 imposes, or enforces, the configuration of source SSD350 on destination SSD 360.

(5) Writing the Source SSD's Digital Data into the Destination SSD bythe Third Party

After storage device configurator 640 enforces the configuration ofsource SSD 350 on destination SSD 360 authentication manager 630 usesdata read/write mechanism 660 to write the digital data it received fromsource SSD 350 into destination SSD 360.

(6) Disabling a Destination SSD

As explained above in connection with FIG. 2, the third party reversiblydisables the destination SSD in order to adhere to the concept thatthere must not be more than one legitimate usable copy of multimediacontent. Therefore, after authentication manager 630 reads (by usingread/write mechanism 660) the digital data from source SSD 350, thirdparty 310, or the source SSD, reversibly disables destination SSD 360 inorder not to allow any device to use the destination SSD 360 for as longas the owner or user of source SSD 350 can, or want to, use source SSD350. Disabling a destination SSD may be executed by causing, by thethird party, the destination SSD to manipulate data stored therein, orusing any of methodology that is described herein, for example, inconnection with FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 shows an authentication method for authenticating a third party710 to a source SSD 720, and vice versa, according to an exampleembodiment. The authentication process involves exchangingauthentication certificates and using the Private Key Infrastructure(PKI) methodology, as described below.

Third party 710, which may be similar or identical to third party 310 ofFIGS. 3 and 6, has stored therein a third party certificate 711, a thirdparty private key 712, and a root certificate 713 of, or associatedwith, source SSD 720. Third party certificate 711 includes a public keyof third party 710. Likewise, source SSD 420, which may be similar oridentical to SSD 100 of FIG. 1, has stored in its security managementstorage area an SSD certificate 721, an SSD private key 722, and a thirdparty root certificate 723. SSD certificate 721 includes a public key ofsource SSD 720. The authentication process may include the followingphases: (1) Public Key Verification (2) Private Key Verification and (3)Session Key Agreement, which are discussed below.

Public Key Verification

Responsive to a user instruction to commence a data back up process (forexample by using a user application such as user application 370), thirdparty 710 issues and sends a “Set-Certificate” command 731 to source SSD720 to start a mutual authentication session.

Being the initiator, third party 710 sends with Set-Certificate command731 its authentication certificate (“i.e., “Third party Certificate”711). In response to the Set-Certificate command 731 source SSD 720utilizes “Third Party Root Certificate” 723 to verify (shown at 732) theauthenticity of Third Party Certificate 711. If verification fails,source SSD 720 aborts the authentication process. If the authenticationcertificate of third party 710 (“i.e., “Third party Certificate” 711) isverified by source SSD 720 (shown at 732), source SSD 720 responds tocommand 733 (i.e., “Get-Certificate”) that was issued by third party 710by sending to third party 710 its own authentication certificate (i.e.,“Source SSD Certificate” 721).

Third party 710 receives the source SSD's authentication certificate(i.e., “Source SSD Certificate” 721) and verifies (shown at 734) theauthenticity of “Device Certificate” 721 by using Source Device RootCertificate 713. If this verification is also successful both parties(third party 720 and source SSD 720) get each other's public key fromthe corresponding authentication certificate: third party 710 has thepublic key 735 of source SSD 720 by virtue of verified Source SSDCertificate 721, and source SSD 720 has the public key 736 of thirdparty 710 by virtue of verified Third party Certificate 711. Aftercompletion of this phase the two parties move on to the next phase,which is the “Private Key Verification” phase. Third Party RootCertificate 723 is typically stored in the hidden storage restricted(hidden) storage area of the SSD.

Private Key Verification

A private key of an SSD or of the third party may be verified by usingvarious cryptographic schemes, one of which is described hereinafter.Private Key Verification is accomplished by using a double-sidedchallenge-response mechanism, where source SSD 720 challenges thirdparty 710 by using command 741 (“Get Challenge”), which source SSD 720provides to third party 710 with a relatively long (e.g., 32-byte)challenging random number (shown at 742) that is generated by source SSD720. Third party 710 responds to command 741 (“Get_Challenge”) bysigning (shown at 743) the challenging random number by using ThirdParty Private Key 712, according to the RSA cryptographic scheme that isdefined in PKCS#1 version 2.1, or according to any other suitableversion that exists today or that may be devised in the future. Briefly,“RSA” (the initials of the surnames Rivest, Shamir and Adleman) is acryptography algorithm used to sign and encrypt digital data. RSAinvolves using a public key that can be known to everyone and is usedfor encrypting messages, and a private key. Messages encrypted with thepublic key can only be decrypted by using a matching (i.e., anassociated) private key.

The signed response (shown at 744) is verified (shown at 745) by sourceSSD 720 by using Third Party Public Key 736, according to the RSAcryptographic scheme that is defined in PKCS#1 version 2.1, whichresults in the extraction of a number that is expected to be the randomnumber 742. If the extracted number matches random number 742, thisindicates to source SSD 720 that third party 710 is who it says it isand that third party 710 is eligible to receive digital data from sourceSSD 720. If the number extracted at 745 differs from random number 742,the authentication fails and source SSD 720 aborts the authenticationprocess.

Third party 710 utilizes a similar challenge-response mechanism tochallenge source SSD 720. That is, third party 710 generates and sends arandom number to source SSD 720 and checks whether the number returnedby source SSD 720 matches the generated random number. If the twonumbers match, this indicates to third party 710 that source SSD 720 iswho it says it is and that source SSD 720 is eligible to be backed up bya destination SSD. If the numbers do not match, the authenticationprocedure fails and third party 710 aborts the authentication process.After completion of the mutual authentication phase the two parties(i.e., third party 710 and source SSD 720) may move on to the nextphase, which is the “Session Key Agreement” phase. The root certificateof the third party and the SSD's private key are usually stored in therestricted (hidden) storage area of the SSD.

Session Key Agreement

As explained above, a secure channel between a third party and a sourceSSD (referred to herein as the “first secure channel”) may beestablished by using a session key (referred to herein as the “firstsession key”) that may be available to third party 710 and source SSD720 in several ways. That is, the session key can be generated by them(for example in the way demonstrated by FIG. 7) or provided to them froman external system or device.

The session key is used by third party 710 and source SSD 720 as part ofthe two-way (i.e., source SSD/third party) authentication, to completetheir mutual authentication process, and also as a cipher key to cipherdata that is exchanged between third party 710 and source SSD 720. Thesession key is jointly randomized by third party 710 and by source SSD720 and is known to both of them because it consists of two randomnumbers (shown at 751 and 761), where one random number (i.e., randomnumber 761) is generated by the third party 710 and sent afterencryption to source SSD 720, and the other random number (i.e., randomnumber 751) is generated by source SSD 720 and sent after encryption tothird party 720, as described below.

Source SSD 720 generates random number 751 and sends it, afterencryption (shown at 752) to third party 710, where it is decrypted(shown at 753). Third party 710 generates random number 761 and sendsit, after encryption (shown at 762) to source SSD 720, where it isdecrypted (shown at 763). The random number generated by each side maybe 16-byte long and it may be encrypted according to the RSAcryptographic scheme as defined in PKCS#1 version 2.1. “XOR-ing”(performing “exclusive or” logical operation on) the two random numbers751 and 761 at each party results in third party 710 and source SSD 720having the same session key (respectively shown at 771 and 772). Thesession key would be the 16-byte of the binary value resulting from theXOR operation of the two random numbers.

After the session key is generated, source SSD 720 needs a proof thatthird party 710 has generated, and will be using, the same session key.As proof, third party 710 forwards (shown at 781) a “Start-Session”command that is AES (“Advanced Encryption Standard”) encrypted (shown at791) with session key 771. Source SSD 720 decrypts the “Start Session”command with session key 772 and verifies that the “Start Session”command includes a message “Start Session”. If session keys 771 and 772do not match, the authentication process fails and source SSD 720 abortsthe login process. Otherwise, source SSD 720 utilizes session key 772 toencrypt and to send (shown at 782) “Authentication Complete” message 782to third party 710. Third party 710 decrypts “Authentication Complete”message 782 with session key 771 and verifies that “AuthenticationComplete” message 782 contains the message “Authentication Complete”.This last step completes the session key agreement process and opens asecure channel over which commands and data (e.g., the digital data) canbe exchanged between third party 710 and source SSD 720 in a securemanner (i.e., encrypted). The session key will be used by third party710 and source SSD 720 during the entire communication session, which isthe period until third party 710 reads out the entire digital data thatis stored in source SSD 720. The authentication and session keysgeneration process exemplified in FIG. 7 can likewise be used, mutatisutandis, for authenticating third party 710 to a destination SSD andvice versa. That is, in the latter case the word “source” should bereplace with the word “destination”.

After the first and the second session keys are generated, the firstsecure channel is established by encrypting, by the source SSD, thedigital data with the first session key that is available to the thirdparty, and the second secure channel is established by decrypting, bythe third party, the encrypted digital data with the first session keyand encrypting the decrypted digital data with the second session keythat is available to the destination SSD. The first session key and thesecond session key may be stored in the third party and in therespective SSD during manufacturing of the SSDs, or later. Encryptingthe digital data by the source SSD with the first session key mayinclude a prior step of encrypting, by the source SSD, the digital datawith a content key that is available to the destination SSD but not tothe third party. A content key may be stored in the source SSD and inthe destination SSD during manufacturing thereof, or they may begenerated by one party (e.g., the source SSD) and transferred to theother party (e.g., the destination SSD), the latter alternative beingdescribe below, in connection with FIG. 8.

Third party 710 participates in the generation process of the encryptionkeys required to establish the virtual secure channel that includes afirst secure channel with source SSD 720 and a second secure channelwith a destination SSD (not shown in FIG. 7). However, as explainedabove, a third party may copy digital data from a source SSD to adestination SSD without the third party generating anencryption/decryption key, and without the third party knowing whichencryption/decryption key(s) is/are used by the source SSD anddestination SSD, as shown in FIG. 8, described below.

FIG. 8 shows a method for generating a content key by source SSD 720according to an example embodiment. In order to maintain confidentialityof the digital data while it is forwarded (by and via third party 810)from source SSD 820 to destination SSD 830, source SSD 820 anddestination SSD 830 take on the security responsibility with the thirdparty taking on a mediatory role, as described below. It is assumed thatthird party 810, source SSD 820, and destination SSD 830 alreadycompleted the public key and private key verification phases describedabove in connection with FIG. 7, and, consequently, that third party 810associates destination SSD 830 with an authentication certificate thatcontains a public key of destination SSD 830. In general, source SSD 820randomly generates a content key to encrypt its digital data prior totransmission thereof. Thereafter, source SSD 820 forwards the contentkey to destination SSD 830 so that destination SSD 830 can use thecontent key to decrypt the encrypted digital data. The content keygeneration process is performed as described below.

After third party 810 and destination SSD 830 authenticate each otherthird party 810 holds the authentication certificate 835 of destinationSSD 730. In general, third party 810 forwards the public key ofdestination SSD 830 to source SSD 820; source SSD 820 utilizes thedestination SSD's public key to encrypt a content key (i.e., a key forciphering data); and destination SSD 830 utilizes the content key todecrypt the encrypted data. To achieve that, third party 810 forwards840 the authentication certificate 835 of destination SSD 830 to sourceSSD 820, and source SSD 820 verifies that SSD certificate 835 ofdestination SSD 830 is signed by the destination's SSD's rootauthentication certificate held by the third party. Once the signatureon the destination's SSD's root certificate is verified by source SSD820, source SSD 820 extracts 845 the public key of destination SSD 830from the destination SSD's authentication certificate. Source SSD 820generates a random number 850 that serves as the content key. Then,source SSD 820 encrypts 855 the random number (i.e., the content key)with the extracted public key of destination SSD 830, signs theencrypted content key with the source SSD's private key, concatenatesthe source SSD's authentication certificate to the signed encryptedcontent key, and forwards 860 the signed encrypted content key 825 tothird party 810. Third party 810 forwards at 870 encrypted content key825, as is, to destination SSD 830. Destination SSD 830 then ensuresthat the source SSD's authentication certificate has been signed by thesource SSD's root authentication certificate held by third party 810,and uses its private key 836 to decrypt the encrypted content key.Destination SSD 830 also uses the source SSD's public key, which is heldin the source SSD's certificate, to ensure that the content key has notbeen changed.

From this point on source SSD 820 can securely send digital data todestination SSD 830 via third party 810. Absent knowledge of thedestination SSD's private key, third party 810 cannot decrypt any datathat source SSD 820 forwards through it to destination SSD 830, which isdesired security-wise. Third party 810, therefore, transfers, or relays,the authentication certificate / public key of destination SSD 830 fromdestination SSD 830 to source SSD 820, and the encrypted content keyfrom source SSD 820 to destination SSD 830. Alternatively, a content keymay be made available to a source SSD during its manufacturing and to adestination SSD by transferring the content key to the destination SSDfrom or via the third party. Alternatively, a content key may be madeavailable to the source SSD by transferring it from the destination SSDvia the third party.

FIG. 9 shows an exemplary authentication certificates' hierarchy. PKIsystem Root CA (“CA” stands for “Certifying Authority”) 910 is trustedby secured storage devices and by service providers. Secured StorageDevice's Root CA 920, which is the SSD's unique root CA, is containedin, or held by, a third party to allow the third party to authenticatean SSD. The third party may hold a list of SSD's root CAs for SSDs thatare entitled to the data back up service rendered by the third party.Likewise, Third Part's Root CA 930, which is the third party's root CA,is contained in or held by an SSD. Each of Secured Storage CA Device'sRoot CA 920 and Third Part's Root CA 930 is signed by PKI system Root CA910. Therefore, it may be said that a commonly trusted authority (i.e.,PKI System Root CA 910) delegates trust to Secured Storage CA Device'sRoot CA 920 and to Third Part's Root CA 930. Secured Storage DeviceCertificate 940, which is the SSD's certificate, is contained in or heldby the SSD and signed by Secured Storage Device's Root CA 920. Likewise,Third Party Certificate 950, which is the third party's certificate, iscontained in or held by the SSD and signed by Third Party's Root CA 930.

As stated above, the third party trusts Secured Storage CA Device's RootCA 920, and the SSD trusts Third Party's Root CA 930. Therefore, mutualtrust between the third party and the secured storage device can befacilitated by placing, storing, or holding Secured Storage CA Device'sRoot CA 920 in the third party, and by placing, storing, or holdingThird Party's Root CA 903 in the SSD. More specifically, the third partywill trust the SSD only if the third party receives from the SSD anauthentication certificate that has been signed by the Secured StorageDevice's Root CA 920. Likewise, the SSD will trust the third party onlyif the SSD receives from the third party an authentication certificatethat has been signed by the Third Party's Root CA 903. With respect tothe third party and source SSD, successful authentication also meansthat the third party is eligible, authorized, or entitled to receive, orread, digital data from the source SSD, and that the source SSD iseligible, authorized, or entitled to the data back up service renderedby the third party. With respect to the third party and destination SSD,successful authentication also means that the third party is eligible,authorized, or entitled to write digital data into the destination SSD,and that the destination SSD is eligible, authorized, or entitled toback up the source SSD.

FIG. 10 shows a high level method for backing up digital data of an SSD(referred to herein as a “source SSD”) in another SSD (referred toherein as a “destination SSD”) according to an example embodiment. FIG.10 will be described in association with FIG. 3.

Assuming that source SSD 350 contains, or stores, digital data thatincludes protected data that cannot be transferred to (i.e., backed upby) ineligible devices, and that a user wants to back up the digitaldata of source SSD 350 in destination SSD 360, the user inserts sourceSSD 350 into card reader 330 and destination SSD 360 into card reader340 and, at step 1010, invokes user application 370 on host device 320to prompt third party 310 to execute a data backup process, or tocommence a data backup session with source SSD 350 and destination SSD360.

The data backup process includes two separate phases: a “backup SSDpreparation” phase, which third party 310 executes at step 1020 toprepare the backup SSD (which, in this example, is destination SSD 360)for backing up data, and a “backup SSD usage preparation” phase, whichthird party 310 executes at step 1040 to make the backup SSD usable oroperable. In order for a data backup process to take place, severalbacking up eligibility prerequisites have to be satisfied, as explainedherein.

Preparing a backup SSD (i.e., preparing an SSD as backup device)generally means copying the digital data of a backed up SSD (i.e., asource SSD) to a backup SSD (i.e., a destination SSD), and keeping thebackup SSD dormant (i.e., inactive, inoperable, unusable, or disabled)so that its digital data cannot be used by any device at least for aslong as the original digital data stored in the backed up (i.e., in thesource) SSD is used, or can be used, by its legitimate user or owner.Assuming that the eligibility prerequisites are satisfied, third party310 establishes, there though, a virtual secure channel between sourceSSD 350 and destination SSD 360 and copies the digital data of sourceSSD 350 to destination SSD 360 over the established virtual securechannel.

After third party 310 prepares destination SSD 360 as backup it waits,at step 1030, for user application 370 to issue a back up request. Theback up request is also referred to as “SSD swap instruction” tooperationally swap the two SSDs. If user application 370 has not yetissued a swap instruction (shown as “N” at step 1030), third party 310continues (shown at 1035) to wait for a swap instruction.

If source SSD 350 has been stolen, lost or damaged, its legitimate usercan invoke user application 370 to send an SSD swap instruction to thirdparty 310. Upon, concurrently, subsequent or responsive to receiving anSSD swap instruction from user application 370 (shown as “Y” at step1030), third party 310 prepares the backup SSD (e.g., destination SSD360) for use. Third party 310 has to prepare the backup SSD for usebecause at this stage the backup SSD is disabled; i.e., the digital datacopied thereto from the source SSD is unusable. Preparing an SSD as abackup SSD and preparing a backup SSD for use are more elaborated inFIG. 11, which is described below.

FIG. 11 shows a method for preparing an SSD as backup SSD and thereafterpreparing the backup SSD for use according to an example embodiment.FIG. 11 will be described in association with FIG. 3.

A user inserts a source SSD into a host device system 305 and invokes,at step 1105, user application 370 on the host device system 305 toprompt third party 310 to execute a data backup process, or to commencea data backup session with source SSD 350 and destination SSD 360. Asdescribed above in connection with FIG. 10 the data backup processincludes a first phase in which third party 310 prepares a backup SSD,and a second phase in which third party 310 prepares the backup SSD foruse.

Preparing a Backup SSD

Before destination SSD 360 can be prepared as a backup SSD for sourceSSD 350, source SSD 350, destination SSD 360 (i.e., the intended, orpotential, backup SSD), and third party 310, have to satisfy eligibilityprerequisites. For example, at step 1110 third party 310 checks whethersource SSD 350 is eligible to be backed up by a destination SSD, or byanother SSD for that matter. If third party 310 determines that sourceSSD 350 is not eligible to be backed up by a destination SSD (shown as“N” at step 1110), third party 310 terminates, or aborts, the databackup process. However, if third party 310 determines that source SSD350 is eligible to be backed up by destination SSD 360 (shown as “Y” atstep 1110), third party 310 establishes, at step 1115, a first securechannel with source SSD 350 (over communication line 380, data network390, and communication line 355). The first secure channel with sourceSSD 350 is part of a virtual secure channel that third party 310completes later between source SSD 350 and destination SSD 360. Thirdparty 310 will complete the virtual secure channel only afterdestination SSD 360 proves to third party 310 its eligibility to back upsource SSD 350, or to back up SSDs in general.

At step 1120 third party 310 reads the digital data (which includes theprotected data) from source SSD 350 over the first secure channel and,according to one example, holds the read digital data until it is timeto transfer it to a destination SSD 360. According to another examplethird party 310 may hold the read digital data for an additional timeperiod (e.g., months or years) after the digital data was copied todestination SSD 360. The latter example is useful if the backup SSD isalso stolen, lost, or damaged, because the digital data may likewise bestored in another/new SSD. According to yet another example third party310 may hold the read digital data for a predetermined time period(e.g., 2 days) after which third party 310 will delete it regardless ofwhether it was copied to destination SSD 360, or to another backup SSD,or not. If third party 310 deletes its copy, it may get another copy ofthe digital data from the source SSD in question later.

At step 1125 third party 310 checks whether destination SSD 360 iseligible to back up source SSD 350, or another source SSD for thatmatter. If third party 310 determines that destination SSD 360 is noteligible to back up source SSD 350 (shown as “N” at step 1125), thirdparty 310 terminates, or aborts, the data backup process. However, ifthird party 310 determines that destination SSD 360 is eligible to backup source SSD 350 (shown as “Y” at step 1125), third party 310establishes, at step 1130, a second secure channel with destination SSD360 (over communication line 380, data network 390, and communicationline 365), to thereby complete the virtual secure channel between sourceSSD 350 and destination SSD 360. At step 1135 third party 310 copies todestination SSD 360, over the second secure channel, the digital data(including the protected data) it previously read from source SSD 350over the first secure channel. After the digital data of source SSD 350is copied to destination SSD 360, and assuming that source SSD 350 isstill in use by its legitimate user or owner, third party 310 disables,or inactivates, at step 1140, destination SSD 360 so that its digitaldata cannot be used by any device.

At step 1150 third party 310 checks whether an SSD swap instruction hasbeen received from user application 370. If no such instruction has beenreceived (shown as “N” at step 1145), it is assumed that the user ofsource SSD 350 can still use the original SSD (i.e., source SSD 350)and, therefore, destination SSD 360 remains disabled, inoperable,unusable, or inactive, and third party 310 continues to wait or to mute(shown at 1150) for a swap instruction. By “third party 310 continues towait” is meant that third party 310 can either be operative (switched“on”) and actually waiting for the instruction, or inoperative (switched“off”). However, because the service rendered by third party 310 is anon-line service, third party 310 should be operative, waiting for backup requests, or SSD swap instructions, to be received from users.

Upon, subsequent, or responsive to receiving an SSD swap instructionfrom user application 370 (shown as “Y” at step 1150) third party 310enables, activates or revives, at step 1155, destination SSD 360 and, atstep 1160, third party 310 disables or inactivates source SSD 350 tomake sure that only one copy of the digital data is usable, which, fromnow on, is the copy stored in destination SSD 360.

After source SSD 350 is disabled it is required to enable destinationSSD 360 (the backup SSD) for allowing it to be used instead of thedisabled SSD (i.e., instead of source SSD 350). Therefore, at step 1165destination SSD 360 is enabled and, thereafter, used as if it were(i.e., instead of) source SSD 350, at this point source SSD 350 anddestination SSD 360 may be thought of as having been swapped.

It is noted that the order of the steps described so far (e.g., steps1110 through 1135, inclusive) may be executed in a different order, asthird party 310 may check the eligibility of destination SSD 360 beforeor concurrently with checking the eligibility of source SSD 350, andestablish the second secure channel before or concurrently withestablishing the first secure channel, as the case may be (i.e.,depending on the features and options provided by user application 370,and on the options actually selected by the user).

If source SSD 350 can still be used by its legitimate owner or user,usage of destination SSD 360 (i.e., usage of its digital data) by anydevice must be prevented. Likewise, if, for some reason, the legitimateowner or user of source SSD 350 wants to use destination SSD 360 insteadof source SSD 350, usage of source SSD 350 (i.e., usage of its digitaldata) by any device must be prevented. If usage of an SSD (e.g., sourceSSD 350 or destination SSD 360) by any device is prevented, the SSDwhose usage is prevented may be regarded or thought of as being“inactive”, “inoperable”, or “disabled”.

Alternative to the destination disabling methodologies described above,destination SSD 360 may be disabled by third party 310 by encrypting thedigital data before or while the digital data is transferred todestination SSD 360. The digital data may be encrypted by using anencryption key that is known only to the third party, so that thedigital data transferred to destination SSD 360 will be unusable by anydevice/SSD by virtue of encryption. However, if a device/SSD requeststhe encryption key from third party 310 in order to decrypt theencrypted digital data, third party 310 complies with the request afterthe relevant prerequisite conditions described above are satisfied. Uponcompletion of transferring of the digital data to the destination SSDuser application 370 may present to the user a corresponding message(e.g., “backup process completed”).

Third party 310 may maintain an SSDs revocation table listing revoked(i.e., disabled) source SSDs. Third party 310 fills in the SSDsrevocation table, or updates the table with, new source SSDs every timethird party 310 receives an identifier of a new source SSD. Third party310 marks a source SSD as “revoked” (i.e., disabled) prior to, orimmediately after third party 310 copies the source SSD's digital datato a backup/destination SSD. Upon, subsequent or responsive to thirdparty 310 receiving from a host a request to use a specific SSD, thirdparty 310 searches the SSDs revocation table for the specific SSD, andif the specific SSD is marked in that table as “revoked” third party 310sends a message to the host hosting the specific SSD, “telling” the hostthat the specific SSD has been revoked and, therefore, it should not beused.

The process involved in sending the host's request to the third party touse the specific SSD, and the response of the third party to thatresponse is called herein “publishing” or “publishing an identifier of asource SSD”). The third party may update the SSDs table and send anupdated SSDs table to the host device system every once in a while.

An SSD may be a flash memory device. The flash memory device may beselected from the group including (the list not being exhaustive)Trusted Flash device, Secure Digital (“SD”), miniSD, microSD, Hard Drive(“HD”), Memory Stick (“MS”), USB device, Disk-on-Key (“DoK”), iNAND, andthe like. It is noted that the source SSD and/or the destination SSD maybe non-flash device.

The articles “a” and “an” are used herein to refer to one or to morethan one (i.e., to at least one) of the grammatical object of thearticle, depending on the context. By way of example, depending on thecontext, “an element” can mean one element or more than one element. Theterm “including” is used herein to mean, and is used interchangeablywith, the phrase “including but not limited to”. The terms “or” and“and” are used herein to mean, and are used interchangeably with, theterm “and/or,” unless context clearly indicates otherwise. The term“such as” is used herein to mean, and is used interchangeably, with thephrase “such as but not limited to”.

Having thus described exemplary embodiments of the invention, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art that modifications of the disclosedembodiments will be within the scope of the invention. Alternativeembodiments may, accordingly, include more modules, fewer modules and/orfunctionally equivalent modules. The present disclosure is relevant tovarious types of secured mass storage devices such as SD-driven flashmemory cards, flash storage device, non-flash storage devices, and soon.

1. A method of preparing a backup secured storage device, comprising: a)determining whether a source secured storage device is authorized tocommunicate secure data to be backed up by a destination secured storagedevice, the source secured storage device containing digital dataincluding the secure data which is not transferable by the sourcesecured storage device if unauthorized; b) determining whether thedestination secured storage device is authorized to back up the securedata from the source secured storage device; and c) if the sourcesecured storage device is authorized to have the secure data in itbacked up by the destination secured storage device and the destinationsecured storage device is authorized to back up secure data from thesource secured storage device, establishing a secure channel between thesource secured storage device and the destination secured storagedevice, and copying the digital data from the source secured storagedevice to the destination secured storage device over the secure channelsuch that the copy of the digital data in the destination securedstorage device is unusable until the destination secured storage deviceis enabled.
 2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the copy of the digitaldata in the destination secured storage device is rendered unusable bythe source secured storage device, by the destination secured storagedevice, or by a trusted third party.
 3. The method as in claim 1,wherein the copy of the digital data in the destination secured storagedevice is made unusable prior to, during, or subsequent to copying thedigital data from the source secured storage device to the destinationsecured storage device.
 4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the copy ofthe digital data in the destination secured storage device is madeunusable by any one of (i) changing the digital data before or as it isbeing copied to the destination secured storage device, (ii) modifyingan attribute of the destination secured storage device, and (iii)configuring the copied digital data at the destination secured storagedevice.
 5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the determination whetherthe source secured storage device is authorized to be backed up by thedestination secured storage device is done by the destination securedstorage device or by a trusted third party, and wherein thedetermination whether the destination secured storage device isauthorized to back up the source secured storage device is done by thesource secured storage device or by the trusted third party.
 6. Themethod as in claim 1, further comprising: d) preparing the destinationsecured storage device for use as a backup secured storage device bydisabling the source secured storage device so that the digital data ofthe source secured storage device is unusable, and enabling thedestination secured storage device so that the digital data copiedthereto is usable.
 7. The method as in claim 6, wherein disabling thesource secured storage device is effected by a trusted third partypublishing an identifier of the source secured storage device, andwherein enabling the destination secured storage device includes thetrusted third party reinstating (i) data in the destination securedstorage device, or (ii) an attribute of the destination secured storagedevice, or (iii) a configuration of the destination secured storagedevice.
 8. The method as in claim 7, wherein the identifier of thesource secured storage device is transferred from the source securedstorage device (i) to the destination secured storage device duringmutual authentication or as data embedded in the digital data copiedfrom the source secured storage device to the destination securedstorage device, and then to the trusted third party, or (ii) directly tothe trusted third party during mutual authentication or as data embeddedin the digital data copied from the source secured storage device to thetrusted third party.
 9. The method as in claim 1, further comprising: d)receiving, by the source secured storage device or by the destinationsecured storage device, a backup request initiated by a user applicationto back up the digital data of the source secured storage device in thedestination secured storage device.
 10. The method as in claim 5,further comprising: d) determining by the source secured storage devicewhether the trusted third party is authorized to receive the digitaldata of the source secured storage device; and e) if the source securedstorage device is authorized to be backed up and the trusted third partyis authorized to receive the digital data from the source securedstorage device, establishing a first secure channel between the sourcesecured storage device and the trusted third party and copying thedigital data from the source secured storage device to the trusted thirdparty over the first secure channel.
 11. The method as in claim 10,further comprising: f) determining by the trusted third party whetherthe destination secured storage device is authorized to receive thedigital data; and g) if the destination secured storage device isauthorized to receive the digital data from the trusted third party andthe trusted third party is authorized to send the digital data to thedestination secured storage device, establishing a second secure channelbetween the source secured storage device and the trusted third partyand copying the digital data from the trusted third party to thedestination secured storage device over the second secure channel.
 12. Atrusted third party for backing up digital data of one secured storagedevice in another secured storage device, the trusted third partycomprising; a) an authentication manager, the authentication managerbeing configured (i) to authenticate a destination secured storagedevice, the destination secured storage device containing an unusabledigital data originating from a source secured storage device, thedigital data including secure data that are not transferable tounauthorized devices, and (ii) to establish a secure channel with theauthenticated destination secured storage device; b) a storage deviceconfigurator, (i) to disable the source secured storage device to renderthe digital data stored therein unusable, and (ii) to enable thedestination secured storage device over the secure channel in order forthe digital data in the destination secured storage device to be usable.13. The third party as in claim 12, wherein the storage deviceconfigurator is further configured to enable the destination securedstorage device by reinstating (i) modified data in the destinationsecured storage device, or (ii) a modified attribute of the destinationsecured storage device, or (iii) a modified configuration of thedestination secured storage device.
 14. The third party as in claim 12,wherein the storage device configurator is further configured to receivean identifier of the source secured storage device from the sourcesecured storage device or from the destination secured storage device,and to publish the identifier to a host of the source secured storagedevice in order to disable the source secured storage device.
 15. Thethird party as in claim 12, further comprising: c) a data read/writemechanism configured to read the digital data from the source securedstorage device and to write the read digital data into the destinationsecured storage device over a secure channel.
 16. The third party as inclaim 15, wherein the authentication manager is further configured toauthenticate the source secured storage device and to authenticate thethird party to the source secured storage device prior to the dataread/write mechanism reading the digital data from the source securedstorage device.
 17. The third party as in claim 15, wherein the digitaldata that the data read/write mechanism reads from the source securedstorage device includes an identifier of the source secured storagedevice.
 18. The third party as in claim 17, wherein the storage deviceconfigurator is further configured to disable the source secured storagedevice by publishing the identifier of the source secured storage deviceto a host hosting the source secured storage device.
 19. A securedstorage device facilitating backing up protected data thereof in adestination secured storage device, the secured storage devicecomprising: a) a mass storage area storing digital data, the digitaldata including secure data that are not transferable to unauthorizeddevices; and b) a secure storage controller configured (i) to determinewhether a destination secured storage device or a trusted third party isauthorized to receive therefrom the digital data and, if so, toestablish a secure channel between the secure storage controller and thedestination secured storage device or between the secure storagecontroller and the trusted third party, and (ii) to transfer the digitaldata to the destination secured storage device directly or via thetrusted third party for back up over the corresponding secure channel.20. The secured storage device as in claim 19, wherein the securestorage controller is further configured to disable the destinationsecured storage device in order to render the transferred digital dataunusable.
 21. The secured storage device as in claim 20, wherein thesecure storage controller renders the transferred digital data unusableprior, during, or after the secure storage controller transfers thedigital data to the destination secured storage device or to the thirdparty.
 22. The secured storage device as in claim 19, wherein the securestorage controller is further configured to transfer an identifier ofthe source secured storage device to the third party directly or via thedestination secured storage device in order for the identifier to beused by the third party to disable the secured storage device.
 23. Thesecured storage device as in claim 22, wherein the secure storagecontroller transfers the identifier to the third party or to thedestination secured storage device during mutual authentication with thethird party or destination secured storage device or as data embedded inthe transferred digital data.
 24. The secured storage device as in claim19, wherein the secure storage controller is further configured (iii) todetermine whether a source secured storage device is authorized to sendto the secured storage device digital data that includes secure datawhich is not transferable by the source secured storage device ifunauthorized and, if so, (ii) to establish a secure channel between thesecured storage device and the source secured storage device or thethird party, and to receive the digital data of the source securedstorage device directly from the source secured storage device or viathe third party over the respective secure channel.
 25. The securedstorage device as in claim 24, wherein, if the digital data receivedfrom the source secured storage device is usable the secure storagecontroller is further configured to disable the secured storage deviceso that the digital data received from the source secured storage deviceis rendered unusable.
 26. The secured storage device as in claim 25,wherein the secure storage controller renders the digital data of thesource secured storage device unusable by any one of (i) changing thedigital data in the secured storage device, or (ii) modifying anattribute of the secured storage device, or (iii) configuring thedigital data copied to the secured storage device from the sourcesecured storage device.
 27. The secured storage device as in claim 26,wherein the secure storage controller is further configured to preparethe secured storage device for use as a backup secured storage device byrendering the unusable digital data in the secured storage deviceusable.
 28. The secured storage device as in claim 27, wherein thesecure storage controller renders the digital data in the securedstorage device usable by reinstating data in the secured storage device,the configuration of the destination secured storage device, or anattribute of the destination secured storage device.
 29. The securedstorage device as in claim 27, wherein as part of the preparation of thesecured storage device to operate as a backup secured storage device thesecure storage controller sends an identifier of the source securedstorage device to the third party in order for it to be published by thethird party to a host hosting the source secured storage device so thatthe digital data stored in the source secured storage device is notusable.
 30. The secured storage device as in claim 29, wherein thesecure storage controller receives the identifier of the source securedstorage device directly from the source secured storage device or viathe trusted third party.